T cells

Study discovers promising immune response for early ovarian cancer diagnosis

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Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced the discovery of a novel immune-based biomarker that could pave the way for potential lifesaving early detection of high-grade ovarian cancer (HGOC). The findings were published today in the journal Cell Reports Medicine. High-grade ovarian cancer (HGOC) is the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related death among women. More than 90% of … Read more

Study shows breakthrough infections enhance immune response to COVID-19

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New research from scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) suggests people who received COVID-19 vaccines and then experienced “breakthrough” infections are especially well armed against future SARS-CoV-2 infections. By analyzing blood samples from study volunteers, the LJI researchers discovered that people who experienced symptomatic breakthrough infections develop T cells that are better at … Read more

Immunotherapy: Harnessing the Immune System for Disease Treatment

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Immunotherapy represents a revolutionary approach to disease treatment that harnesses the power of the immune system to combat various ailments, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, and allergies. Unlike traditional treatments such as chemotherapy or surgery, which directly target the disease, immunotherapy works by stimulating or enhancing the body’s immune response to recognize and destroy … Read more

Sialidase-fused BiTE molecules enhance T-cell killing of solid tumors in mice

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Scientists from Scripps Research have enhanced an existing immunotherapy by removing the sugar coating surrounding solid tumors—such as in melanoma, breast, and prostate cancer—so T cells can more effectively kill tumor cells. They report in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering that this tweak allows T cells to get closer to their targets, which dramatically improves T-cell killing of tumor … Read more

Virology: Study of Viruses and Viral Diseases

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Virology is the scientific study of viruses, their structure, function, evolution, and interactions with host organisms. Viruses are microscopic infectious agents that can infect a wide range of living organisms, from bacteria and archaea to plants, animals, and humans. They are unique entities that straddle the boundary between living and non-living, as they require host … Read more

Immunology: The Body’s Defense Mechanisms

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Immunology is the branch of biomedical science that focuses on the study of the immune system, which is the body’s intricate network of organs, tissues, cells, and molecules that work together to defend against pathogens, foreign substances, and abnormal cells. The immune system plays a vital role in maintaining health and protecting the body from … Read more

Monoclonal antibody mAb43 appears to prevent and reverse type 1 diabetes in mice

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Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say that an experimental monoclonal antibody drug called mAb43 appears to prevent and reverse the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes in mice, and in some cases, to lengthen the animals’ lifespan. The drug is unique, according to the researchers, because it targets insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas directly … Read more

Study reveals how daughter cells protect themselves from inherited RNA damage

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During the process of cell division, new daughter cells inherit a mix of genetic material and other molecules from their mother cells. This inheritance includes both beneficial components, which can help them for a robust start in life, and potentially harmful mutations or damaged molecules, posing significant challenges for the newly born daughter cells. How … Read more

How early cells harvested hydrogen energy

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Hydrogen gas is a clean fuel. It burns with oxygen in the air to provide energy with no CO2. Hydrogen is a key to sustainable energy for the future. Though humans are just now coming to realize the benefits of hydrogen gas (H2 in chemical shorthand), microbes have known that H2 is a good fuel for as … Read more

New technique revives decades-old cancer samples for immune response studies

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Scientists have developed an improved technique for reading the genetic material associated with the body’s immune response to cancer, making it possible to study tissue samples that have been stored in archives for decades. Using this technique, which is much more sensitive than commercial equivalents and less costly, researchers are able to analyze archival cancer … Read more

New molecule shows promise in targeting SCLC cells and boosting immunity

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A molecule has demonstrated its ability to kill tumor cells and incite an immune response in preclinical models of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could lead to more successful treatments for SCLC, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the … Read more

Cryo-EM structures elucidate parental histone transfer during DNA replication

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A research team has recently made a significant breakthrough in understanding how the DNA copying machine helps pass on epigenetic information to maintain gene traits at each cell division. Understanding how this coupled mechanism could lead to new treatments for cancer and other epigenetic diseases by targeting specific changes in gene activity. Their findings have recently been … Read more

Addition of ALK inhibitor shows promise in enhancing CAR-T cell therapy for neuroblastoma

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Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a potent emerging weapon against cancer, altering patients’ T cells so they can better find and destroy tumor cells. But CAR-T cell therapy doesn’t work well in every cancer—including many cases of neuroblastoma, a cancer that begins in young children’s nerve tissue and can metastasize to multiple areas … Read more

KSHV manipulates host cell metabolism to drive cancer development

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Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered a key mechanism used by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8), to induce cancer. The research points to effective new treatment options for KSHV-associated cancers, including Kaposi’s sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and HHV8-associated multicentric Castleman disease. “Our findings have significant implications: viruses cause between 10% … Read more

Study links persistent UTI pain to nerve cell overgrowth in bladder

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A perplexing problem for people with recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs) is persistent pain, even after antibiotics have successfully cleared the bacteria. Now Duke Health researchers have identified the likely cause—an overgrowth of nerve cells in the bladder. The finding, appearing March 1 in the journal Science Immunology, provides a potential new approach to managing … Read more

Study links specific astrocytes to regulation of behaviors associated with neuropsychiatric disorders

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UCLA Health researchers have discovered a group of specialized support cells in the brain that can regulate behaviors associated with human neuropsychiatric disorders. The study, published in the journal Nature, focused on a group of cells known as astrocytes—star-shaped cells that tile the central nervous system and provide a support structure for the neural communication … Read more

Study reveals dynamic protein complexes in plant cell nuclei regulating iron uptake

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Iron is a micronutrient for plants. Biologists from the Institute of Botany at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) describe in a study, which has now been published in the Journal of Cell Biology, that regulatory proteins for iron uptake behave particularly dynamically in the cell nucleus when the cells are exposed to blue light—an important … Read more

Prosaposin protein could be key to enhancing cancer immunotherapy, study finds

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Successful immunotherapy for cancer involves activating a person’s own T cells to identify telltale proteins called antigens on the surface of a tumor and attack it. But some tumors have a trick: They hide themselves from the immune system by preventing their antigens from being displayed. A team led by Harvard Medical School researchers at … Read more

Biology

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Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It explores a vast range of topics, including the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of living organisms. This discipline delves into various levels of biological organization, from molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems. Through methods like observation, experimentation, and analysis, biologists seek … Read more